The Van Meter Bulldogs won the Class 2A State Softball Championship 5-3 in suspenseful fashion against the Audubon Wheelers on Friday night. Right out of the gate it seemed to be another defensive battle between two talented teams. In the top of the first inning Audubon had difficulty batting only gaining two walks and no hits. The bottom of the first inning saw Riley Miller get to work immediately striking out 2 Bulldogs and giving up no hits. The hitting struggles continued in the top of the second seeing 3 more Wheelers strike out with a variety of pitches from Madeline Waldorf. Van Meter finally managed to get a run in the bottom of the second with an error out first, making it a 1-0 lead.

The Wheelers were ready to respond in the top of the third thanks to a passed ball spinning in the backstop to bring in a run and an error from Cali Richards overthrowing the tag at home. Suddenly it was a 2-1 lead for Audubon and they forced relief pitcher Bianca Prickett to come in. Miller continued her persistent work retiring the Van Meter side quickly as the game turned into the top of the fourth. It was there that Taryn Petersen had a deep double out in the center gap to bring Mattie Nielsen home. The energy continued to build for Audubon as the lead was built to 3-1. Both sides remained in a standstill till the bottom of the fifth inning. The Bulldogs managed to load the bases with a walk, another error over at first, and a well executed bunt. Van Meter would tie in the bottom of the fifth by a bases loaded walk and RBI single from Halle Karaidos to have the game tied at 3-3.

In the top of the sixth inning Audubon would have trouble with relief pitcher Prickett as she sent three straight Wheelers back to the dugout. In the bottom of the sixth Van Meter had a base hit from Kennedy Wiedman to put the go ahead run on. Miller then forced a pop fly and created a strikeout. With two outs and a 2-2 count Mady Schnell hit a rope deep into center field past the fence for a 2-run homer. Van Meter had the lead once again at 5-3.

Audubon would get 2 runners on in the top of the seventh thanks to back to back base hits by Jordan Porsch and Miller with two outs. It then came down to Alexis Obermeier and who hit a grounder right at third base which would create a forced out and give the state title to the Bulldogs with a final score of 5-3.

Wheelers head coach Andrea Schwery was proud of the way her team played and gave credit to the talent displayed by Van Meter.

Audubon saw a lot of grit by Porsch going 2-3 at the plate and by Petersen with her RBI double. Miller pitched 6 innings, gave up 5 runs, 5 hits, and struck out 7. Coach Schwery wants her team to hold their heads up high by the effort they showed on the night.

While the loss stings, Petersen noted that they have plenty of talent coming back next year.

Speaking on next year, coach Schwery is looking forward to the depth that will be returning for another season as the Wheelers end their year with a record of 29-5.

Prickett was a major help to the Bulldogs pitching 4 and 1/3 innings, with 1 earned run, 3 hits, and striking out 2. The Van Meter scoring assisted by Wiedman with her 2 hits and in RBI’s by Schnell’s 2-run homer. The Bulldogs conclude their season on a 40 game winning streak and a final record of 43-1.

Of the four Big Ten newcomers one college football preview magazine believes Oregon will make a serious run at the title. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview says the Ducks are loaded even with the loss of star quarterback Bo Nix.*

And Steele says they are the biggest threat to an Ohio State team that may be ranked one or two in the preseason AP Poll.

Big Ten Media Days wrapped up Thursday in Indianapolis

Class 5-A Championship:

Pleasant Valley 14, WDM Valley 11

Class 5-A Consolation:

Urbandale 6, Ankeny 5

Class 4-A Championship:

Carlisle 7, ADM 6

Class 4-A Consolation:

North Scott 6, North Polk 2

Third ranked Remsen St. Mary’s will play number five Lynnville-Sully Friday afternoon in Carroll in the 1A state baseball championship game. Remsen St. Mary’s beat Mason City Newman 7-4 Wednesday night in the longest tournament game ever played. It took 14 innings to decide it and included a nearly one hour rain delay. The Hawks will play in their third straight title game and will be in search of a second straight championship.

Remsen St. Mary’s coach Dean Harpenau. Hawks outfielder Braxton Kneip on playing in the longest tournament game.

Kneip has six hits in the state tournament but says everyone is doing their part.

Infielder Dalton Klein on the quick turnaround after such a long game.

Klein says it has been a balanced effort by the Hawks at the state tournament.

Iowa safety Quinn Schulte says an experienced Iowa defense has high expectations for the upcoming season. The Cedar Rapids native is one of eight returning starters for a unit that finished fourth in the country in scoring defense during a 10-4 season.

The Hawkeyes will be in search of a third trip to the Big Ten championship game in four years but Schulte says the addition of four new teams will make the road even tougher.

Schulte says the success of the Iowa defense begins at the line of scrimmage.

Schulte says a key to success in college is a willingness to be coached hard and he learned that while playing for his father at Xavier High School.

Schulte made his comments at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule feels the Huskers are poised to make a major jump in his second season as head coach. Nebraska lost its final four games of last season to finish 5-7.

Improvement begins with limiting mistakes. The Huskers finished minus-17 in turnover margin last season and five of their losses were by a touchdown or less.

Rhule says the players have bought in to the philosophy of limiting mistakes.

Rhule made his comments at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis. The Huskers open at home on August 31st against UTEP.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa has 11 combined current/former student-athletes traveling to Paris to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Hawkeye athletes will be representing the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Nigeria, South Sudan and Spain. The opening ceremony is Friday night with event competition taking place over the next two weeks.

Fans can stay current with their individual or team progress throughout the Olympic Games via the following link: hawkeyesports.com/hawkeye-olympians/

The last Hawkeye to earn an Olympic medal was Thomas Gilman in 2021 (bronze).

Men’s Wrestling
Spencer Lee (USA)

Women’s Wrestling
Kennedy Blades (USA)

Women’s Basketball
Megan Gustafson (Spain)
Tomi Taiwo (Nigeria)

Men’s Basketball
Peter Jok (South Sudan)

Women’s Gymnastics
Cassie Lee (Canada)
Aurélie Tran (Canada)
Sydney Turner (Canada-Alternate)

Women’s Track & Field
Brittany Brown (USA)

Women’s Soccer
Cloé Lacasse (Canada)

Women’s Rowing
Eve Stewart (Great Britain)

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa football team will host its annual “Kids’ Day at Kinnick,” presented by the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, on Saturday, Aug. 10. Supporting sponsors for the event include Alliant Energy, Chick-fil-A, Delta Dental of Iowa, and Scheels. The open practice begins at 11 a.m. (CT), with gates A, B and H opening at 10 a.m.

Team members will sign autographs for kids at approximately 10:30 a.m. along the front of the west and south stands. During the practice, the 2024 Kid Captains will join players on the field for photos following an exclusive “inside look” at Kinnick Stadium. The Kid Captain program, a partnership between UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital and the University of Iowa football team since 2009, features the inspiring stories of 12 current and former patients throughout the football season.

Admission is free for all fans, and free parking is available in designated hard surface lots, with regular ramp fees applying. Cashless concession stands will be open, accepting debit or credit cards only, and Kinnick Stadium’s clear bag policy will be enforced.

The Hawkeyes open the 2024 season with three straight home games, first hosting Illinois State (11 a.m., BTN) on Aug. 31, followed by the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series against Iowa State on Sept. 7 (2:30 p.m., CBS) and Sept. 14 versus Troy (3 p.m., FS1) for the annual Gold-Out game and Family Weekend. Additional home games feature the ANF Black & Gold Spirit game versus Washington (Oct. 12, TBA), Homecoming against Northwestern (Oct. 26, 2:30 p.m.), the Black-Out and Military Appreciation contest versus Wisconsin (Nov. 2, TBA), and Senior Day against Nebraska (Nov. 29, 6:30 p.m., NBC). All seven Hawkeye home games are sold out for 2024.

WATERLOO, Iowa — Rising University of Iowa senior Paula Miranda fired a 72 (E) at Sunnyside Country Club to win the 100th Iowa Women’s Amateur on Wednesday. Miranda shot a three-round 218 (+2) to claim the title.

It is the second straight year that a Hawkeye has won the event as Kaitlyn Hanna won in 2023.

“It was pretty special,” said Miranda. “Especially with it being the 100th anniversary of this tournament and with Kaitlyn winning last year. It is pretty special that the trophy gets to stay with the Hawks. I was really proud of myself today.”

The Puebla, Mexico, native finished with three birdies, 12 pars and three bogeys during her final round. She had a pair of birdies on the front nine and she birdied the par three 18th to finish at even par.

“I am very happy for Paula,” said head coach Megan Menzel. “She has put in a very consistent year of hard work, and it is great to see it paying off. She is a great competitor and a proud Hawkeye. It is great to see the Iowa Women’s Amateur trophy in Iowa City two years in a row!”

Miranda qualified for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur for the first time in her career last Thursday finishing as the individual runner up at a qualifying event at the Franklin Bridge Golf Club in Franklin, Tennessee.